Space Jam 2 director wants to ensure he makes a worthy sequel to the cult classic

"I want to make sure that we do everything right," says Justin Lin.

We know Space Jam 2 is happening, that LeBron James will be its leading man, and that it will be directed by Fast & Furious alumni Justin Lin, but the film still isn't any closer to entering full production.

Lin has offered fans an update however, revealing that things are progressing slowly to ensure the best possible end product, despite studio Warner Bros seemingly eager to get the film done sooner rather than later.

"A lot of times now with these big tentpoles, everybody's trying to jam a movie into a limited time. I feel like I'm too old for that. I want to make sure that we do everything right," Lin said on a recent Television Critics Association panel (via Slash Film).

"Warner Brothers has been great," he went on to say. "I feel like it's been very precious. Everybody at the studio's been calling, 'Let's go, let's go' and I'm like [it's] not right yet.

"To me, the challenge is we have actors who are also professional athletes, so schedule is something that is tough. I've been really wanting to push that genre, but to do that you need the right amount of time.

"So there's a logistical challenge but also creatively, to do a sequel 20 years later with a new cast and also to be able to, in a relevant way, bring the Looney Tunes back. That's very important to me to do it right. I feel I've done nine different iterations already and we're going to keep going, but we're getting closer every day."

It was revealed in May that legendary Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player James was in talks with Warner Bros about Space Jam 2, as was Lin.

On casting the film, he said: "There's one thing that I've learned, there are so many sports and Space Jam fans. I run into them and everybody's volunteering to be in the movie so I don't think it's going to be a problem.

"I feel like the studio's been great because I ask for a playground and the time to really explore and that's what we've been doing this whole time.

"It's a different challenge because [LeBron] is a professional basketball player. He's not retired. When the first one happened, it was during a strike and Michael Jordan was retired. From what I've learned in film, you have to be passionate and when you're ready, you'll make it happen."

Released in 1996, Space Jam starred sporting legend Michael Jordan as himself alongside the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other Looney Tunes characters in a story that saw them take on a team of monsters in Looney Tunes Land.